SDMRI Research Publication No.

3 33 - 42 , 2003

Products from seaweeds

N. Kaliaperumal
Regional Centre of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
Marine Fisheries - 623 520, Ramnad Dlstrict, Tamilnadu

Abstract
Seaweeds constitute one of the commercially impo rtant marine living renewable
resources. They are the only source for the production of phytochemicals such as
agar, agarose, carrageenan and algin which are widely used in various industries as
gelling. stabilising and thickening agents. Seaweeds are good sources of food and
medicine. Food products like jelly. jam, pickle etc. can be prepared from seaweeds.
Many bioactive compounds can be extracted from seaweeds. Seaweed meal a nd
seaweed liquid fertilizer are also' manufacture.d from marine algae. The methods for
manufacturing different phyto-chemicals and products from seaweed~ are given in
this paper.

Introduction are s everal medicinal properties in

S e aweeds or marine algae are
primitive non-flowering plants without
true root, stem and leaves. They ·
constitute one of the commercially
important marine living r e newabl e
resources. They contain different
vitamins, minerals, trace elements,
protein, iodine, bromine and bioactive .
substances. Seaweeds are good source
of food and medicine. They are the
only source for the production of
phytochemicals such as agar, agarose ,
carrageenan and algin. These
phycocolloids are use d a s gelling,
stabilising and thickening agents in food,
pharmaceuticals, confectionery, dairy,
textile, paper, paint and varnish
industry etc. Marine algae are used as
raw materials for the production of other
chemicals such as mannitol, iodine,
bromine , laminarin and fucoidin. Food
products like jelly, payasam, jam,
chacolate, salad, soup, curry etc. can be
prepared from seaweeds. Seaweed meal
and seaweed liquid fertilizer are also ·
manufactured using marine algae. There
33
seaweeds. Many bioactive compounds can
be extracted from seaweeds (Chapman
and Chapman, 1980; Chennubhotla
et al. , 1987a; Chennubhotia, 1996;
Chennubhotla et a!., 1991; Kaladharan
et al. , 199 8; Chennubhotla and
Kaliaperumal, 1999). The various
products obtained from seaweeds,
methods of manufacture and their used
are given below.
Phytochemicals
Agar
Agar is the major cell-wall
constitutent of certain· red algae
especially the member of families
Gelidi aceae , Gelidie llaceae and
Gracilariaceae. It is extracted from
Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis,
G. crassa, G. foliifera, G. verrucosa and
species of Gelidium, Pterocladia and
Ahenfeltia. Agar consi~ts of chain of 9-B
galactopyranose units linked in 1, 4 bonds
with a sulphated L. galactose. The method
for production of agar on commercial
scale (Kaliaperumal and Uthirasivan,
2001) is given in Annexure-I.
Proc. National Seminar on Marine Biodillers ity a s a source of Food Medi cine

Annexure - I Agar is used for gelling and

Production of agar on commercial scale thickening in the confectione ry and
Dried Gracilaria edulis (200 kg) bakery industries and as stabilizer for the

•
Leaching in freshwater for 12-18 hours
preparation of cheese and for salad
dressings. In fish and meat processing

•
Washing two times with freshwater 'in
agitator tank (3 washes-! 0 min. duration each)
industry, agar is applied for canned
products as a protective coating against
the effect of metal containers and against
•
Softening of seaweed with HC! for t hr
shaking during transport of these
products. Agar is also used as a clarifying
(pH 2-4) agent in wines, beer and liquors. In
•
Washing with fresh water (7 pH)
pharmaceutical industry, agar is used as
a laxative for chronical constipation, as
t drug vehicle and as a medium for
Cooking seaweed in digester for 2-3 hrs by bacterial and fungal cultures. Agar is an
'p assing steam at 50 lh pressure ion exchanger and used in the
•
Settling agar gel for t hr
manufacture of ion exchange resins. I"
cosmetic industry, agar serves as a
•
Filtering agar gel through filter cloth contitlient of skin creams and ointments.
Agar is also employed in paper and
t
Collection of agar gel in aluminium trays textile industries as finishing and sizing

•
Cooling agar gel at room temperature
for 1 - 2 hours
agents.
Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a sulphated
J, galactan polymer obtained from various ·
Shredding agar gel with gel chopper red seaweeds belonging to the families
t Gigartinaceae, Solieriaceae and
Freezing agar for 24 hours
Hypneaceae. It differs from agar mainly
(till temp. comes down to -20"Q
•
Thawing agar after removal from freezing room
in its higher sulphated fraction and
higher ash ·c ontent. The back bone of the
carrageenan polymer consists of I, 3 and
• I, 4 linked D-galactopyranose units
•
Drying agar in sun on velon screen frames

Bleaching agar in 10% chlorine water

•
which vary in the degree and the
location of sulphated esterification.
for 5-10 minutes Carrageenan can be separated into
J, two fractions - k - carrageenan and
Washing agar with fresh water for 2-3 times '-_carrageenan .whose polymer chain is
t branched in the former and linear in
Drying agar in sun on velon screen frames the latter. K-Fraction is separated from
t I.-fraction by preCipitation with potassium
Dried agar (15 kg) chloride and amounts to 40% of the
J, carrageenan, the balance being the
Packing dried agar sheets in polythene bags '--fraction. The fraction soluble in hot
(1 kg packets) water stands for k-carrageenan and
J, the cold water soluble fraction to· be
Sale '--carrageenan.
34
 SDMRI Research Pu blication No. 3 33 - 42, 2003

Chondrus crisous, Gigartina In pharmaceutical industry,

stellata, Iridaea spp, Eucheuma spp and carrageenan is used as emulsifiers in cod
Kappaphycus spp' are the chief raw liver oil and emulsions as granulation and
materials used for extraction of binding agents to tablets, elixirs, cough
carrageenan. The industrial method for syrups etc. It is used extensively in ulcer
the manufacture of Carrageenan therapy and for diseases of blood vessels.
(Kaliaperumal and Ramalingam, 2000) is In cosmetics, carrageenan "is applied as
given in Annexure - II. stabilizer and thickening agents in tooth
paste , skin ointments and solid air
Annexure - n freshners. In textile industry, hot water
extracts of carrageenan is used in
Industry method for production of
printing designs with dye and act as
carrageenan fmishing and sizing agents. Carrageenan,
Washed sun dried seaweed also called "Painter Moss· has been used
! .... Steam sometime in paint manufacturing as
stabilizers for pigments. They are also
Boil the seaweed trea ting with 10% KOH good as film-forming agents.
(Caustic potash)
! Algin
Algin or alginic acid is a
Sun drying (or)
membrane mucilage and a maJor
! constituent of all alginates. The various
Drying on sieve +- Hot Air salts of alginic acid are termed 'alginates'
plates in indoor (for example . sodium alginate, calcium
! alginate etc). The term algin is used as a
Powdering collective name for alginic acid and
alginates but also as a trade name for '
!
sodium alginate. Alginic acid and its salts
Semi processed Carrageenan
Similar to
Agar ....
1 +-
Add 5-10"10
NaOH before
with divalent and trivalent m etal ions are
generally insoluble in water, while alkali
metal salts are water soluble.
extraction hot extration
Algin is obtained from brown
Carrageenan seaweed species such as Ecklonia,
Macrocystis, Undaria, Laminaria and
In food industry, carrageenan DurlJillea from temperate areas and
finds its USe in bakery, confectionery and Turbinaria, Sargassum, Cystoseira and
for culinary purposes especially in the Hormophysa from the topical areas. The
preparation of condiment products, industrial method for the manufacture of
syrups, whipped creams, ice disserts, algin (Kaliaperumal and Ramalingam,
cheese etc. Carrageenan is used for 2000) is given in Annexure - III.
clarification of beer, fruit juices and other In pharmaceutical industry, algin
beverages. Carrageenan improves the is used as emulsifiers in watery
quality of wheat flour in spaghetti and emulsions with fats, oils and waxes, as
parotta making. The food sector accounts fillers in the manufacture of tablets, pills
for nearly 70% of world market for and as base of any ointments. An
carrageenan. alginate gauze is used as a blood stoping
35
Proc. National Seminar on Marine Biodive rs ity as a s ource of Food Me dicine

Annexure . III creams, In dental technology, alginates

are used for making denture mOUldings
Method for production of s odium alginate
as well as denture ftxatives.
on commercial scale In food technology, alginates
improve the baking properties and they
Sun dried seaweed
are constituent of baking emulsions.
(Sargassum / 'furbinaria)
J, Alginates are u sed to make sugar
Wash in fresh water glazings, egg, fruit and other cream
t ftllings and in confectionery for making
Treat with HCI imitation fruits. Jelly products are made
J, with water, insoluble alginates (calcium
Wash in fresh water alginates) . In a number of countries
J, alginates are sugge sted as a gelating
Treat with sodium carbonate agent in marmalades and jams. In dairy
J, products such as cheese, creams, milk
Settle for 2 hours shake mixed in chocolates, puddings, cold
J, prepared pudding powder, soft cheese and
Filter the supernatant solution custards, alginates are extensively used.
J,
Alginates act as stabilizers in milk mixes .
Add chlorine solution
J, and impart uniform viscosity and good
Add HCI for alginic acid precipitation whipping ability.
J, In beverageS, alginates act as
Dehydrate the precipitate using centrifuge clarifying agent for making wines and
J. raw liquor of sugar and m'olasses.
Treat with sodium carbonate Alginates act as foam stabilizers in lager
J, beer and malt beer. In meat and sausage
Drying in sun industry, meat and sausage products are
J. given a longer shelf life with an alginate
Powdering film. Artiftcial casings with an alginate
J. base have been developed for making
Sodium alginate
small sausages particularly for
plaster. As a slimming agent, the vegetarians. For deep freezing of fish,
alginate forms a jelly in the stomach meat and poultry products an alginate gel
is used and this has been patented in
which produces the feeling of saturation
many western countries.
in stomach. Ammonium alginate wool is
used as , a filter for microorganisms for Alginate filaments are used in the
production of calcium alginate rayons. In
laminar !lowhood.
ceramic and leather industries, addition
In cosmetic, detergent and soap of alginate stabilizes the pigment and
making industries, alginates serve as glazing suspensions to ceramic,
thickening and dispersing agents in the porcelain and Chinaware as well as
production of ointments, creams, liquid leather goods. Alginates find extensive
emulsions, lotions and tooth paste as well application in textile industry,
as an additive in hair dye, hair ftxing particularly as a thickening agent for
tonics, shampoos etc. due to the ability of printing dyes and paints that prevents
alginates to form films. Alginates smudging and promote quick drying and
increase the consistency of shaving, evenness of prints.
36
 SDMRI Research Publication
Mannitol
Mannitol is an important sugar
alcohol of the hexite series found in brown
algae. Mannitol is a constituent of cell '
sap. It occurs also as mannitan. The
chief raw materials for the extraction of
mannitol are Fucus vesiculosus, Lam.in.aria
hyperborea, Ecklonia radiata, Bifurcaria
brassiformis, Sargassum spp, and
1Urbinaria spp.
In the extraction of mannitol, the
dried brown seaweed materials are
pre-treated with dilute HCI (10-15%). The
aqueous acid extract after neutralization
is evaporated to dryness. From this
mixture of salts, mannitol and soluble
polysaccharides are extracted with
boiling methonal for 5 hours in the
Hannen and Badum extractor. The
solution containing the extracted
material is allowed to stand for 24 hours
at 5°C and the precipitate- the cystalline
mannitol is filtered and . dried before
weighing.
In pharmacy, mannitol is applied .
for the production of tablets. Mannitol is
also used for making diabetic food,
chewing gum etc. Mannitol is employed
as dusting powder in the paint and
varnish industry, leather and paper
industry, pyrotechiniques and in making
explosives. In organic systhesis and in
plastic production, mannitol is used as
plasticizers for the production of resins.
Iodine
Iodine is extracted in small
quantities from brown seaweeds in
Japan, Norway and France and from red
seaweeds like Phyllophora nervosa in
Russia. As seaweeds are good source to
meet dietary requirement of iodine,
goitre disease caused by iodine deficiency
is less prevalent in countries where
marine algae form part of the diet. The
iodine occurs in seaweeds in readily
37
No.3 33 - 42, 2003
available form and it is superior to the
mineral iodine. Some species of
seaweeds especially red and brown
varieties, have the ability to accumulate
iodine and have a"more coneen trated
source of it. Laminaria, Phyllophora and
Ecklonia are the seaweeds from which
iodine is extracted in Japan, Britain and
other countries (Kaliaperumal et. al.,
1987).
Protein
The protein content is high in
green and red algae than in the brown
algae. The seaweeds which form rich
source of protein are Ulva rigida,
U.fasciata, U. stenophylla, Caulerpa
scalpelliformis, Cladophora monumentalis,
Bryopsis spp, Porphyra vietnamensis,
Centroceras clavulatum and Acanthophora
spicifiera. These algal proteins have
essential aminoacids including iodine
containing aminoacids. Studies revealed
that these seaweeds contain 16-30% of
protein on dry weight basis and this
amount is somewhat higher than that in
other food materials such as cereals, eggs
and fish. Protein can be extracted from
these seaweeds and as such dry powders
of Ulva, Porphyra, Acanthophora etc. can
be added to various foods deficient in
protein or taken along with other food
stuffs in small quantities.
The protein is extracted by first
treating the powdered seaweed with
ether-water mixture (1:4 ratio) for about
3 hours and then with 1 N Sodium
hydroxide solution. The protein is then
precipitated with 10% solution by
trichloroacetic acid at pH 4-5. The
precipitated protein is washed, dried
and powdered. Among the different
precipitating agents, trichloroacetic acid
gives best results giving a concentrate
containing 60% of protein (Kaliaperumal
et. al., 1987).
Proc. National Seminar on Marine Biodiversity as a source of Food Medicine
Vitamins
Different vitamins such as
Vitamin-B 12, Vitamin-C, Vitamin-D and
Vitamin-Ehave been reported from
marine algae growing in different parts
of the world. In India, few studies were
made on the Ascorbic acid content
(Vitamin-C). The results obtained by
Thivy (1960) on the algae of Mandapam
showed that the quantity of ascorbic acid
present in Sargassum myriocystum is high
and it is more than that present in
citrus fruit.
Bromine, laminarian and fucoidin
are other carbohydrates' isolated from
green, brown and red seaweeds.
Human food
Seaweeds are not actually a
sought after vegetable to most
westerne:rs. However, the orientals have
been eating a ' variety of seaweeds for
thousands of yearS. lt is known that about
100,000 tonnes of seaweeds are eaten
annually in Japan in the name of Nori,
Kombu (konbu) and Wakame. Seaweeds
are rich in protein, vitamins, aminoacids,
growth hormones, minerals and other
trace elements. Hypothyroidism (goitre)
can be cured and controlled by intake of
iodine rich seaweeds like Asparagopsis
and Sarconema spp.
Nori
Nori is the name of various
edible products derived from Porphyra
after processing. Nori is prepared by
harvesting Porphyra, pounded washed
with water, drained, chopped and finally
mixed with freshwater before being
spread on bamboo mats for drying. When
dried thin sheets of nori are obtained,
these are pressed flat, stored, bundled and
packed for marketing. Nori is used as a
flavouring agent in soup, sauces, and
broths or even soaked in soybean sauce '
and eaten with boiled rice. Nori is also
38
used in well known dishes - tempura and
sushi.
Kombu
Kombu is prepared from
Laminaria. Mter harvesting and drying,
Laminaria is separated from the stipe and
holdfast for quality and sent to kombu
factories. Kombu processing involves
boiling the kelp in a green aniline dye
solution, air drying, compressing in
frames and then cutting into blocks which
are shredded. Kombu is used as
soup stock, boiled vegetable, snack or
seasoning for rice dishes (as curry leaves
are used in India).
Wakame
Wakame has become more
popular in recent times. It is made from
large brown seaweed Undaria pinnatifida.
Undaria is processed as wakame by
washing, desalting and drying. Desalting
is achieved by boiling with water.
Wakame is popularly known in the forms
of roasted or sugar candied products.
Seaweed Recipes
Many seaweed food products and
recipes can be prepared from
different seaweeds and consumed
(Chennubhotia et. aI., 1981; Kaladharan
and Kaliaperumal, 2000 a).
Salad
The following seaweeds are used
for making salads either singly or in
combination of two or three seaweeds.
Caulerpa racemosa, C. sertularioides,
Codium spp, Gracilaria verrucosa,
G.eucheumoides, Hydroclathrus clathratus,
Laurencia papil/osa and Porphyra spp.
Fresh seaweeds are cleaned of
sand, debris, attached stones etc. and
then washed in freshwater. Chopped
tomatoes, carrot, onion, chilli and ginger
are added and mixed. Salt is added to taste.
 SDMRI Research Publication
Seaweed masala
Cut onion and green seaweed
(Ulva lactuca) into pieces and garnish
them in low fire with oil, mustard and
cuny leaves. When about to turn grey,
add chilli powder, coriander powder,
turmeric powder, salt, ginger and tomato
pieces and mix well. It can be eaten with
rice and chappatis.
Seaweed pickle
Take cleaned fresh seaweed
(Gracilaria edulis) and remove moisture
with cloth. Cut into small pieces. Soak
in vinegar for 2 days. Remove from
vinegar, add gingelly oil, chilli powder,
mustard and fenugreek powder. Season
with asafoetida. Add peeled garlic. Mix
throughly and bottle.
Seaweed wafer
Boil cleaned dried seaweed
(Gracilaria edulis) in water. Filter through
organdy cloth. Add rice paste, chilli paste
and asafoetida powder. Add gingelly seed
and cumin seed and mix well. Cook
together. Dry the paste in open sun in
small lumps on cloth. Store in air tight
jar before serving fried in oil.
Seaweed porridge
Boil dried cleaned seaweed
(Gracilaria edulis) in water for 20 minutes.
Grind it into a fine paste. Boil the paste
in water. Add sugar and milk and mix
thoroughly. Add cashew nut raisins and
cardomon. Serve hot.
Seaweed jelly
Boil cleaned and dried seaweed
(Gracilaria edulis) in water for 45
minutes. Stir frequently. Filter through
organdy cloth into a vessel. Add sugar,
lime juice, food essence and food colour
to taste in hot condition. Mix thoroughly.
Pour in an enamel or stainless steel tray.
Allow to set. Refrigerate for a minimum
of 30 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve.
39
No.3 33 - 42, 2003
Seaweed jam
Prepare sugar syrup. Add seaweed
powder (Ulva lactuca) and boil for 15
minutes with stirring. Add edible colour
and essence. Ready to serve.
Some of the food stuff such as
Ice-cream, Tomato sauce, Jams, Jelly,
Marmalade, Blancmange (without corn
flour) and Lime jelly requiring agar and
their method of preparation are given by
Thivy (1958).
Animal feed
Seaweed are utilised as animal
feed in some countries. They are cheap
sources of minerals and trace elements.
Hence, the meal prepared from seaweeds
can be given as supplements to the daily
rations of cattle, poultry and other farm
animals. Seaweed meal can be obtained
by grinding cleaned and washed seaweeds
such as Ulva, Enteromorpha, Sargassum,
Padina, Dictyota, Gracilaria and Hypnea.
Seaweed meal can also be mixed with
fish meal and used as a poultry feed.
Durilig the extraction of agar, the
boiled extract is filtered to separate agar
from the plant material. Indian seaweed
industries can extract only 50-60% of the
colloid content (10-20%) from the raw
materials. Hence, the residue is -known
to contain considerable quantity of
colloids, other carbohydrate, protein,
vitamins and minerals. The residue
remaining in the filter is normally
discarded. This residue can be utilised
as a feed for dairy, piggery and poultry or
can be used as binder-cum carbohydrate
substitute in the feed preparation for farm
animals.
Seaweed meal prepared from
Graci/aria, Gelidiella and Hypnea is added
to the feed ingredients while making
compounded feed for fish and prawns as
excellent binders. The commercial
binders are gelating and tapioca powders.
Proc. National Seminar on Marine Biodi uersity a s a source of Food Medi cine
Use of seaweed meal as a binder in fish
and prawn feeds can increase the
phytochemicals standard of the feeds
compared to those feeds manufactured
with conventional binders. Feeds made
of seaweed as binders help maintain
water quality as the conventional
binders get fermented easily. Because of
the flavour of seaweeds, these feeds have
more palatability and also they are
enriched with minerals, aminoacids and
carbohydrates (Kaladharan and
Kaliaperumal, 2000 b).
Seaweed manure
The earliest record of utilisation
of seaweed as manure was 'that of
Palladius in 4th century AD as described
by Chapman and'Chapman (1980). It has
been found 'that seaweeds contain many
growth promoting hormones such as
auxins, cytokinins etc. apart from macro '
and micro-nutrients. Hence, seaweeds
can be used as eco-friendly manures
either as compost or the extract as liquid
seaweed fertilizer (L.S.F.).
Seaweed compost
Basal application of seaweeds as
a green manure to coconut and other
plantation crops along the Lakshadweep
islands and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu
and Kerala is still in practice. This
treatment improves the water holding
capacity of soil, besides supply of micro
and macro nutrients upon decomposition.
A method for compo sting seaweeds with
cow dung has been described by Thivey
(1960). Field experiments ' have been
conducted in the Central Marine
Fisheries Research Institute applying
seaweed compost to bhendi, sweet potato,
, tapioca and brinjal plants and high yields
were obtained from these vegetable crops.
Liquid seaweed fertilizer
Now, seaweed extract is made into
mineral rich liquid seaweed fertilizer
40
(LSF) and marketed under various trade
names. Studies have proved that extracts
of Sargassum wightii, Ulva lactuca and
Spatoglossum asperum at 1% strength
show favourable response on the
germination, seedling vigour, fruit
settling and on the weight offruit in crops
like groundnut, maize, gingelly, tomato
and ber. Liquid seaweed extract was first
patented in the year 1912. Another patent
was offered in 1962 and exploited by
Maxicrop Ltd and marketed as 'Maxi crop'
and 'Bio-extract'. When foliar feeding
became an orthodox method of plant
nutrition in the 1950s 'Marinure', 'SM-3'
and 'frident' brands were made in the UK
in the 1966s and 'algifert' in Norway.
In India, SPIt is manufacturing and
marketing LSF in the name of 'Cytozyme'.
The following steps are adopted in
the preparation of liquid seaweed
fertilizer - thoroughly wash the seaweed
to remove sand, debris and other weeds.
Dry seaweed and pulverize in a grinder.
Soak the seaweed powder in water. Cook
the seaweed for 2 hours with water in the
ratio of 1: 10. Filter and centrifuge the
extract. The viscous ftItrate is used as
'LSF'. The ftItrate is dried at 65'70·C to
get dry solid. The dry solid extract is
powdered and'packed in air-tight bottles.
This powder can be used as LSF by
making 0.5% to 1.5% (w Iv) solution with
water. This is used as a foliar spray on
green canopy of leafy vegetables and
other horticultural crops (Rama Rao, 1992
and?OOO).
Fuel gas
Fuel gas for domestic use can be
produced utilising the brown seaweed
Bargassum as raw material. A mixture
of about six micro-organisms mostly
derived from marine environments can
be used in diegesters. Addition of indole
acetic acid stimulated anaerobic
digesters. Salinity of the liquid above 20%
 SDMRI Researc h Publication
was stated to be detrimental to
production of fuel gas (Chennubhotla et.
aL, 1987 a).
Medicine
More than 600 secondary
metabolites belonging to the categories
of terpenes, alkaloids, fatty acids and
nitrogenous compounds have been
isolated from marine algae. Many of these
compounds are therapeutically active and
have been extensively studied using
laboratory and pharmacological assays.
Species of Sargassum were used for
cooling and blood cleaning effect. They
contain sargalin, a blood sugar reducing
agent. Hypnea musciformis is employed as
vermifuge and Centroceras clauulatum as
cathartic agent. Seaweeds rich in iodine ·
such as Asparagopsis taxiformis and
Sarconema furcellatum can be used to
check goitre disease.
Several red algae including
Gracilaria, Gelidium and Pteroc/adia have . al., 1986; Kaliaperumal, 1994, 2000a and
been used to treat various stomach and
intestinal disorders. The stipes .of
Laminaria cloustoni have been used to aid
in child birth by distending the uterus
during labour. Carrageenan is useful in
ulcer therapy and alginates are found to
prolong the rate of activity of certain
drugs. A number of species of marine
algae have been . found to have
anticoagulent and antibacterial
properties. Though the importance
of different seaweed products in
pharmacology is known, the development
of antimicrobial, antifungal and
antiviral substances from seaweeds is
still in an initial stage of research and
development (Chennubhotla etaL, 1987a).
Conclusion
India has a long coastline of 7500 augme nt the seaweed resources for
km with rich growth of different
No.3 33 - 42, 2003
seaweeds in the south coast of
Tamilnadu, Gujarat coast, Mumbai,
Ratnagiri, Goa, Karwar, Varkala ,
Vizhinjam, Visakhapatnam and also in
Pulicat Lake, Chilka Lake, Lakshadweep
and Andaman Nicobar islands. About 271
genera and 1053 species of marine
algae belonging to four groups
namely Chlorophyceae, Phaeophyceae,
Rhodophyceae and Cyanophyceae have
been recorded from Indian waters of which
more than 60 species are commercially
important (Umama heswara Rao, 1970;
Chennubhotla et ai., 1987b; Kaliaperumal
et ai., 1995). The total standing crop of
seaweeds from intertidal and shallow
waters of all maritime states and
Lakshadweep was estimated as 91,333
tonnes (wet wt). The quantity of seaweeds
estimated in deepwaters of Tanii1nadu
was 75,373 tonnes (wet wt) in an area of
1863 sq km from Rameswaram
(Dhanushkodi) to Kanyakumari (Silas et.
2002) .
At present, in India, seaweeds
collected from wild along Tamilnadu coast
are use d · as raw material for the
production of only agar and alginates. As
seaweeds form a very good source of
human food , animal feed, medicine,
fertilizer and a variety of products ,
different kinds of s eaweeds growing at
various localities of our coast may be
exploited in a rational way and used for
these purposes. In addition, seaweeds can
be cultured on large scale following
various techniques (Kaliaperumal, 2000
b) in the lagoons of Gulf of Mannar islands,
Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar
islands and in the bays and calm area,s of
the east a ·n d west coast of India to .
proper utilisation.
41
Proc. National Seminar on Marine Biodiversity as a source of Food Me dicine
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